And the strike continues.... but at least we have toothbrushes!

So, the teacher’s strike continues. This is week three, and the school year just started about five weeks ago. Why are the striking? Some say it’s because the government is taking their retirement money. Some say it’s because they haven’t been paid since last year. Some say it’s because there is talk of privatizing public education. But most say that they honestly don’t know. Teachers, who have more or less abandoned their classes two weeks into the school year, after last year when their students lost 2 full months of classes, are unable to give you a legitimate reason for the indefinite strike. That is not to say that they don’t have the right to be upset… though I don’t understand the ins and outs of Honduran politics, I can empathize with them in the sense that they are not being treated justly by the government. Do I, however, think that is a justification for a nation wide teacher’s strike that began before the teacher’s unions even tried negotiating with the government? Absolutely not. It’s a messy situation, but robbing the future of this country of their right to an education is probably the worst way to solve things… talk about hindering development! (photo to the left is a school without students- looks abandoned!)

A lot of Youth volunteers find themselves at a loss during the strikes, as many of us are assigned to the schools. No school no work. I am not assigned to a single school, and as grateful as I am for that, I am still hard pressed to stay busy. During strikes, kids sometimes seem to disappear, and forget about trying to train teachers because they don’t want to hear it. There were 27 teachers signed up to take a course about teaching English and methodology with me, and not one showed up to the introduction meeting last week. Thankfully my IHNFA kids still come, since that’s their only opportunity to eat decent meals! My counterpart that went with me to the Yo Merezco training (self-esteem/abstinence program for girls) came back super excited to start the program, which was wonderful! We’ve been waiting to see how the strike pans out, as we had a proposal all set for the public schools, but since it’s looking like it could be a while, we are going to try and start it with one of the private bilingual schools in town.


Yesterday I went on the radio to talk to an audience of about 5,000 about respect, and how in such a beautiful community with such hospitable people, it is a shame to see such a lack of it, especially towards women, when you walk down the street. I pleaded with parents to talk to their children about how they should treat everyone with dignity and respect, because unfortunately the examples that they see on the streets are giving the opposite message. And I asked mototaxi drivers to be more careful and responsible, because when they turn around while driving to cat-call girls, they could very easily hit a child, or a dog, or drive off the road- it’s dangerous! I was nervous about offending people so I made equal commentary about how great the people I know here are, and I thanked them for taking care of me and treating me like part of their family, and that working with their kids has been the best job I have ever had, then I asked them to work together with me to try and break this vicious cycle, maybe not in Honduras as a whole, but at least within our community. I also didn’t say my name, nor did I say I was affiliated with Peace Corps, nor any other details that could give me away- they just knew I was a North American volunteer. There are plenty of foreigners that pass through my town that I am not worried, and afterwards, the guy in charge of the radio thanked me so much and he said I delivered my message perfectly, it was something people needed to hear, and no one should be offended. Then he said I could come back any time! If these strikes continue, I might take him up on his offer and give some parenting charlas via the radio.

My colgate program is off and running! I have never seen kids so excited about brushing their teeth! In the States, it’s a chore for most kids, but here, for most of them it’s the first time they’ve ever had a toothbrush, and we make it fun, so they LOVE IT! While they brush, I sing, and they shake their hips to the beat, and it’s the most adorable thing I have ever seen. PLEASE everyone at home, switch to colgate for your dental hygiene products! They donate so many brushes and toothpaste every year to kids in developing countries, it is such a fabulous program! I have always been an avid aquafresh endorser (tri-colored toothpaste, how could you NOT endorse that?), but now I feel inclined to switch too.

That is about it for now… hopefully the teachers reach an agreement of some sort with the government soon…. this is RIDICULOUS. In the meantime, I continue teaching good dental health habits, doing story hour and reading/writing activities, pressuring the local government to give me money so I can start Yo Merezco in the private schools, and contemplating what to do with my new found power at the radio station. Also, I just booked my flight home for August!!! I will land in Red Sox Nation August 9th in time to fulfill my maid of honor duties as my big sister gets married!!

Happy 50th Birthday, Peace Corps!!!!

March 1st, 2011, marked 50 years of the existence of the United States Peace Corps. I was in the middle of a training, so I haven't been able to post a commemorative blog entry until now.

The Peace Corps is celebrating 50 years of service this month, and Honduras was one of the first PC countries, so we will be celebrating 50 years of Peace Corps in Honduras in a few months.

Here are bits and pieces from a recent article:

Peace Corps: A Program for the 21st Century

"If the president proposed a program today that was cost-effective, inspired public service, trained Americans for 21st century jobs, strengthened our interests abroad, countered anti-American propaganda and had bipartisan support, we would consider it miraculous. Yet, we already have a program that does all those things. Today is the 50th anniversary of the executive order signed by President John F. Kennedy that established the Peace Corps. Unfortunately, much of the discussion about the program recently seems to be stuck in a time warp. Supporters and detractors alike talk about the Peace Corps as if it were a 1960s-era program -- a disservice because it's actually more modern than many realize.

When the Peace Corps started, many thought government could do just about anything: send a man to the moon, win the Cold War, and end poverty. The Peace Corps was born of that optimism. Although poverty remains far too pervasive, having sent a man to the moon and won the Cold War, we know that some of those ideas weren't entirely fanciful.

Today, we live in a far more cautious time, which blurs the fact that the Peace Corps makes every bit as much sense now as it did in 1961. To start, it's a remarkably cost-effective program. In its entire 50-year history, we have spent less money on the Peace Corps than one percent of the defense budget for just this year, approximately $7 billion in 2011. Given that, the Peace Corps is less than a rounding error in the U.S. budget. Yet, it supports 8,600 volunteers in 76 countries and directly affects at least one million lives each year.

......

The Peace Corps helps Americans know the world as it is and as it is becoming. In today's interconnected world we need to know how the world really works, especially in developing countries where there are myriad emerging business opportunities. Basically, the Peace Corps is a 21st century job-training program. It provides the kind of training in language, adaptability, working in foreign cultures that simply can't be taught in business school because to truly understand the world you have to live as others do, seeing the world as they do.

.........

There are very few programs today that can bring both parties together, yet the Peace Corps is popular with both Republicans and Democrats and enjoys bipartisan support in Congress. It's also been touted by Presidents Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

It is almost inconceivable to think of a program that could do all of this on such a small budget. So today, on its golden anniversary, let's take a moment to commemorate the Peace Corps as a modern-day initiative and recognize its successes over the last five decades. President Kennedy created a valuable program that was amazing in 1961, and is still remarkable 50 years later."

Kevin F. F. Quigley (Thailand 76-79) is president of the National Peace Corps Association


Here is a link to a video from youtube of President Kennedy proposing the Peace Corps, almost exactly 50 years ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOQ85OEZhWg

Safety and Security and Valentines!

Some not so pleasant things have happened to some volunteers in Honduras as of late (there are always safety incidents, but there were some serious incidents in the past few months) so our Safety and Security team decided to make a visit to each region and invite PCVs to come talk about what’s been happening, reiterate strategies on how to keep yourself safe, what kind of services are available if we need them, and just reach out and remind us that we have their support and that our safety during service is a priority. Our awesome Safety and Security director (photographed to the left with me at our Swearing In Ceremony) came out west to meet the 15 or so volunteers out here, with the new Country Director (each country has a US citizen that’s more or less “in charge” of the Peace Corps program in that country) and we had a really good talk- sure, nothing we heard was new, it was pounded into our heads during training how to minimize our risk, but it’s nice to feel supported, and have an opportunity to express safety concerns with people who are facing the same challenges daily.

I still haven’t seen the ABC 20/20 Special (thanks Dad and Gina for recording it- please save it until August!) but after reading some feedback about it, it seems that there was a bias against Peace Corps Safety and Security, and perhaps that was the case for the incidents highlighted in the special, but I just want to emphasize to everyone back home that each country has their own staff, and yes, there is the overarching umbrella of Peace Corps Washington, but you cannot generalize anything in Peace Corps because every country is SO different. I am so so so proud to say that I have absolute confidence in the security measures taken by the Peace Corps staff in Honduras, and I feel like I have a whole family here that has my back.

The truth is, as “gringos” (slang term for people from the states) we will ALWAYS stand out, and therefore always be more of a target for extra attention, be it positive or negative. That is a risk we are made aware of during training, and even before that during the application process, and it’s a risk we know we are taking by continuing our service in country. But… the same things that happen in host countries happen all over the world…. And you have to keep living your life otherwise what will you accomplish living in fear all the time? Yes, maybe safety/security incidents are more highly concentrated given Honduras is the size of, what, Massachusetts? Maybe a little bigger… but underneath all that is a place with wonderful people (though sometimes its hard to find the motivated ones!) who WANT to better themselves, their lives, and their children’s lives. Should the kids I work with be denied the opportunity to learn how/why they should brush their teeth? Of course not… If the overall safety of volunteers in a host country is compromised due to intentional targeting of US citizens or foreigners will we still continue to put ourselves at risk? Of course not… if we can’t be safe, we can’t do our jobs. What we can do right now is take all of the preventative measures we’ve been taught, hope for the best, be honest with PC staff about any concerns we have, and utilize the people who are here to help us (staff, other volunteers, community members, counterparts, trustworthy host country friends).

On a more positive note, school’s back in session! Which means kids are easier to find! Which means I will be busy again very soon! And next week we (Youth Development) have our second in service training for a self-esteem/abstinence based sex ed program called Yo Merezco (for pre-teen/early adolescent girls)… a happily welcomed reunion with some of my best friends! Not to mention I really want to implement this program so it will be a useful training.

These pictures are of valentine necklaces we made last week!

I hope I wasn’t too much of a Debbie Downer with the security talk- the point of the post was to reassure everyone that Peace Corps takes volunteer safety extremely seriously, and that I feel 100% support from in-country staff, and that our Safety/Security director is awesome. And in case anyone saw the 20/20 special last month and has been concerned since. But! I am doing well in my community, and have a super safe housing situation. And i take my whistle with me when i am traveling far!

Love and miss you all, I hope the snow melts away and the sun comes out!

A Love Bug for the President

Things have still been somewhat slow due to “summer vacation” but as of yesterday there were some exciting things happening in the West of Honduras! We got a visit from the President, Pepe Lobo, the President of Congress Juan Orlando (who is originally from Gracias, my site), the ambassador of the United States Hugo Llorens, and the head honcho of US-AID in Honduras. They met in La Campa, a little town outside of Gracias, to sign a 5 year, 82 million dollar plan to start agriculture/renewable energy projects in the Occidente, which includes my department of Lempira, and also the departments of Ocotopeque and Copan. This is the poorest area in the country, and Lempira is supposedly the poorest department, so they are going to try and help boost production and commercial trade and things of that sort.

The night before the big event, the other volunteers in Gracias/outside Gracias met with the ambassador and the US-AID folks for dinner and the most fancy hotel in town, and that’s when they invited us to come along to meet the president the next day! I made special Valentines to give to the president and the ambassador- I think they really liked them! The president gave me a second hug for it (the first being when I asked if we could take a picture together) and he put it safely inside one of his folders so he wouldn’t lose it. And the ambassador laughed and got glitter all over himself. Ah, the smiles that simple glitter can bring to peoples lives.

As far as Honduran politics go... i'm still confused... people here either aren't interested, or are extremely passionate for one political party... the problem is finding out the facts... someone will say they don't this person because s/he's done a lot of harm to Hondurans... but asking for details and specific instances is like going around in circles. Pepe Lobo became president after the former president, Mel Zelaya was taken out of the country in his pajamas last year... People are either still upset about what happened to Mel, or grateful to have Pepe. As a Peace Corps volunteer i am suppose to stay neutral and not take a political stand either way, but there is no harm in finding out why people feel the way they feel, though that's proven harder than you'd think.

The whole series of events was a nice reminder about why I joined Peace Corps… not to meet important people in my host country, but to build ties with community members and let the skills that I have help them in whatever way they can, be it big or small. US-AID wants to collaborate with peace corps volunteers in the future, because although they have the money to fund projects, we have the community ties to motivate the people to get involved. After dinner, the ambassador told us how proud he was to see such dedicated volunteers representing the United States, and that we reflect the best of our country… maybe it’s true, maybe it’s an exaggeration, but hearing him say that to us certainly recharged my batteries, and made me more than ready for summer vacation to end so I can get back to work (I HAVE been working this whole time, just not on specific projects, as apparently a lack of school means a lack of youth… something I will try harder to combat next year).

After being in site for 5 months, I feel like I’ve graduated phase two of peace corps service, phase one being training, and phase two being integrating into your community. I’ve gotten to know my organizations and have a good idea of what their needs are. I’ve already done some projects, but these ones that I’ll start in the coming months will mean more now that I know who I’m working with. And I have enough confidence now that if I see that something isn’t working, I can try to change the focus or implementation of it without thinking that I’m giving up on the original plan. Sometimes in Peace Corps, it’s better not to have such a rigid plan…

It’s wonderful having a hammock. Just sayin’.

Annnd my parents are on a Caribbean cruise right now (which unfortunately does not stop in Honduras)… I wish them a fabulous vacation…

7 months in Honduras!

Last week I went to visit Erica in her pueblito of 300 people, up on a mountain in Comayagua! It was fun to see the difference between rural peace corps life and urban peace corps life…. both have their positives and negatives of course. Everyone in her community knows her, she walks around and gets invited in for a snack, and she has breathtaking views. Certainly not everyone in MY community knows me, I walk around and usually see familiar faces but don’t exactly go from house to house, but I have a lot of resources available, and my views are still pretty nice! It was really good to see her, though, and to get a taste of life out in the campo.

And now, I’m just getting back from Reconnect! Which is kind of like a right of passage for new volunteers I feel…. We’ve accomplished the first 5 months of service, and our “freshman” status is starting to wear off… of course we will still be the babies until the next training class comes….. but they come at the end of the month!

What is Reconnect? When PCVs from the same project get together for a weeklong workshop that includes partial training with Honduran counterparts, then the rest of the week is spent with the Youth Development team, including volunteers from the group that came in the year before us. The first part of the week focused on reading strategies for primary schools, including how to read stories (sounds basic to us but necessary for our work partners), fun activities to promote literacy, and overall how to get kids excited about reading. Then we went into dental hygiene, which we all already did in training, but it was more for our counterparts. After they left, we switched gears and spent the rest of the time sharing ideas and talking about projects. We met the new Country Director (each country has one, a US citizen that is, more or less, in charge of the Peace Corps program for that country)… I got really good vibes from her! She talked to us like co-workers, and really sent the message that we were all working for the same team. And we also met the other “senior” youthies, which was nice, they had a lot of wisdom to bestow upon us newbies.

I walked away from this workshop with a mobile library in a box that included 75 books, 2 puppets, and some games, 130 toothbruses and toothpastes, 24 english manuals, and a cute pink construction paper pig puppet I made!

It was absolutely wonderful to see the other YD volunteers though… we are such a diverse group, but they are my family here, and I couldn’t imagine getting through service without them. I am so lucky to have met such FABULOUS people, who are there for me even if I carry the whistle Juan Carlos gave us around my neck, and who will humor me by wearing “COMO ESTAN MUY BIEN” necklaces that I made for them out of paper.

And now I am working with my counterparts to come up with a plan for the next few months…there is a lot to do, and I have a lot of ideas…. Hopefully we can ponernos de acuerdo!

I also bought a hammock! And my landlord helped me put it up, and it’s a much more pleasurable experience to write a blog entry from a hammock than it is from a bench or a bed!

Sending all my love to snowy new england, miss you all!
love, lisa

We are the world.

There comes a time
When we head a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all





We can't go on
Pretending day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We are all a part of
God's great big family
And the truth, you know love is all we need




Send them your heart
So they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread
So we all must lend a helping hand

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

2010 certainly brought a lot of wonderful things to my life, though it took it’s emotional toll as well. Good things: I got into the Peace Corps, went to Disney World with Courtney, graduated college, became a Peace Corps volunteer, moved to Central America, met a lot of awesome people, came to appreciate everything the United States has to offer, improved my Spanish, and surprised my family for Christmas! Not so good things: lost my beloved puppy Bailey, spent way too much time at the dentist, had to say goodbye to my family and friends for 2 years, suddenly lost my uncle (one of my favorite people in the world) way before his time was up….
All in all, it was a year of change, growth, and new experiences. I’m anxious to see what Honduras has to throw at me in 2011… bring it on!

How was my first Honduran Christmas, you ask? Well… it was spent in the US! Though I had planned to spend it here, about a week before Christmas, my Auntie Rita emailed me and asked if I would be able to come home for Chrismtas… given everything that had recently happened she thought it would be a good way to lift everyone’s spirits as we all try to make it through without a very integral member of our family… she offered to buy my tickets and suggested we keep it a surprise! I got the ok from Peace Corps and landed in Boston late on the 23rd, where I utilized our outstandingly clean and safe public transportation system to go out of the city and meet my aunt and cousin. We decided rather than surprising everyone so late, we’d wait until the morning… and that we did… we waited until 5am before we headed over to my parents house (who were convinced my aunt showed up so early to give them a puppy for Christmas!)… we forcefully woke them up with jingling bells and Christmas carols, then we decided on how to surprise my sister who recently moved into her own house. We all drive out to where my sister lives, megaphone and all, and I start singing Dominic the Donkey outside her bedroom window… after 20 minutes she finally comes to the door! For a reenactment of her eyes popping out of her head, watch the video I posted on facebook!

It was a wonderful holiday… so much fun surprising the rest of my family! They laughed, cried, screamed, poked me to make sure I was real….. I extended my originally short (3 day) trip by a few days thanks to the giant snow storm we got, and was able to stay through New Years. Ohhh the snow…. How magical!!!! I’ve always loved snow. I’m so glad I got to be snowed in for a day. I got to see my sister's new house, meet my new beautiful snugly baby cousin Anna (congrats again, Pat, Lynne and Michelle!), eat, drink and be merry! Aaaannnnd the night before my early flight back my sister barges in my room and turns on my light at 12:30am (my alarm was set for 4 so I could get to the airport on time… I thought she decided she wanted to drive me in and that I had overslept or something) TO SHOW ME HER ENGAGEMENT RING!!!! Yay Gina!!!! And Mike!!!! A perfect way to end a perfect trip home.

So… being back in the states after living in a developing country for 6 months…. Overwhelming to say the least! But I realized all I’ve taken advantage of over the years… public transportation, public restrooms, public services in general, customer service, not guarding your house with a giant wall/gate/bars/etc, dogs inside houses, safe drivers (that’s a big statement to make since I’m from Mass where we are called massholes mostly for our horrid driving… but its nothing like being in a mototaxi here in Honduras, believe me), good roads, hot water with excellent pressure, fresh clothes from the dryer…. I could go on, but I won’t bore you listing all of the things you see and do everyday… when I walked into a grocery store for the first time my sister had to move me along because she was embarrassed as people were staring at my pure awe…

But! I am glad to be back in Honduras, ready to get back to work, start new projects, and hopefully leave my mark on this little town :)

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday, and I wish you all luck in the New Year!
All my love,
Lisa